1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to apparatuses for physical therapy and exercising and particularly to a foot and a hand apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Every joint in the body has a “normal” range-of-motion (ROM). Joints maintain their normal range-of-motion by being moved. It is therefore very important that a person, especially surgical patients, elderly, people with disability, and the like, to move all of her joints every day. Stiff joints can cause pain and can make it hard for the person to do her normal daily activities. Currently, with a prescription, a doctor can either send a person to an outpatient clinic to see a physical therapist or have one come to her home to help her design a personalized exercise program. People with arthritis often follow a therapeutic exercise program and also take part in active leisure or recreational exercise. Therapeutic exercise is exercise recommended by a doctor, a physical therapist or an occupational therapist. It includes specific exercises designed to meet individual needs and achieve specific goals.
It is well known that, due to inactivity, blood clots may develop, which may cause serious medical issues and even death. Furthermore, because of a patient's lack of movement due to post-surgical procedures or someone's sedentary lifestyle, there is a need to safely bring movement to the leg or hand area to avoid potential blood clots.
It is also known that home care costs are increasing in large measure because there is no effective therapeutic device the patient can use on their own to increase or maintain their range-of-motion. Typically, when a person has mobility issues with the knee(s), ankle(s), shoulder(s), and/or elbow(s), they have to go to a physical therapist for the proper equipment to help in their rehabilitation. That is very costly for insurance companies, the government and/or the person.
It is known as well that because of the trauma post-surgical knee patients undergo during surgery, they need a gentle approach to after care in a way as not to aggravate their new knee.
In addition, for many years, it was thought that people with arthritis should not exercise because it would damage their joints. Now, doctors know that when the arthritis is under control, people with arthritis can improve their health and fitness through exercise, without hurting their joints.
Thus, if a person has arthritis, she has more reasons to exercise: to keep her joints from becoming too stiff; to keep the muscles around her joints strong; to keep bone and cartilage tissue strong and healthy; to improve her overall fitness.
There appear to be a limited number of portable medical/therapeutic devices available on the market to be used for physical therapy purposes, i.e., to assist in gaining strength, mobility, and range-of-motion from a surgically repaired knee, ankle, shoulder, and/or elbow, joint replacement, normal wear and tear, general injury, and the like.
Furthermore, the available devices seem to fail to provide a simple, convenient, safe and economical way to help people with limited mobility issues strengthen and increase range-of motion in their knee(s), ankle(s), shoulder(s), elbow(s) and/or the like.
Thus, there is a need for a new and improved physical therapy and exercising apparatus that solves the problems described above.